1st Lieutenant Jarvis Jenness Offutt

Jarvis Jenness Offutt was born on 26 October 1894 to a well-to-do
family in Omaha Nebraska. His father was Charles Lemuel Offutt, who
served as the Speaker of the House for the Kentucky State
Legislature, and his mother was Bertha Clarke Yost Offutt. He
had one brother, Casper, and a sister, Virginia. Offutt would go on to attend the
prestigious Yale University before joining the United States Army.

In May 1917 he transferred to the United States Army Air
Service and was one of 300 candidates to attend
flight training at Camp Borden north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After
this
training, he was assigned to the 22nd Aero Squadron at Fort Worth Texas
and commissioned 1st Lieutenant. On 24 January 1918 he deployed to
England for final training and eventual employment as a ferry pilot delivering aircraft to the front. In August, he was
transferred to the front line (most likely to 60 Squadron, from which
he was posted to 56). The following extract from his last known
letter, written to a friend, provides insight into his thoughts at
that time:

"I leave at once for the big game. No longer this training
stuff, but after the Boche and over the lines for all the old
hell that German Archie can give me ... After three months of
this ferry pilot work I have met and seen a good many Squadrons
and men in charge and we must get together and attack Chase in
his damn balloon.

"Did I tell you, I am going over on (S.E.5)'s, it's the kind
of machine you'll want and if Archie doesn't get me sooner than
I hope for, then we must fly this old game together.

"I've little news tonight and am very rushed so must close.
If anyone asks you what machine you are going on tell them S.E.5
... If anything happens in this game of luck and I'm out of the
running before you arrive, get access thru the Q.M. in France to
my stuff and help yourself. The boys are pretty fast but the
Huns faster still."

On 12 August 1918 1st Lieutenant Offutt was transferred to 56
Squadron. Sadly, the next day whilst practicing an aggressive
manoeuvre, he was killed in a crash. He was Omaha’s first World War
I air casualty. Unfortunately, his journey home was extended as he
was mistakenly buried as Private Walter Heltman in Connelsville
Pennsylvania. In December 1923 he was reinterred in the family plot
in
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Omaha, Nebraska.

In May 1924, the Fort Crook landing field was renamed in his
honour. In 1946, the whole of Fort Crook was renamed Offutt
Field becoming
Offutt Air Force Base when the facility was transferred to the
Department of the Air Force.

Many thanks to the 55th Wing Historian, United
States Air Force, who kindly provided information and photos for
this article. Information also taken from
www.findagrave.com and
Evening State Journal articles available from the Newspaper Archive.